Menopur Kit

Injections, tears and sad news...

The past two days have been a whirlwind of emotions... Yesterday was the first of my Menopur injections and I was feeling extremely excited! 

Firstly I better explain about the Menopur injection. Unfortunately with this type of injection it requires you to mix it yourself as every person needs different amounts of Menopur. Each ampoule contains 0.75 IU (International Units). As there is a risk of stimulating the ovaries too much and developing Ovarian hyperstimulation Syndrome the clinic decided to start me off on a relatively small dose of 112.5 IU. This is a particularly awkward number as it meant that we need to use two ampoules of Menopur and then get rid of some as it would be too much. The syringe is in millilitres which makes it even more confusing! Anyway to give a rough picture of what we have to do:

• Firstly snap the top of a small bottle which contains sterile water (make sure you flick the top so that no water gets caught in the neck of the bottle).
• Open the pink needle which is the mixing needle and attach to syringe. 
• Remove the lids off of the two ampoules of Menopur.
• Gently stab through the top of the ampoule bottle and slowly empty the syringe into the bottle (the Menopur comes in powder form and dissolves immediately).
• Suck the liquid back into the syringe and repeat on the second ampoule of Menopur. 
• Then remove the mixing needle and put the yellow needle on which is the needle we will inject me with. 
• Now the confusing part the liquid in the syringe has to be at 0.75 ml and the excess has to be removed. 
• Then Jay injects the needle into my stomach. 

Now we had already double-checked several times about the measurements of the drug and was well and truly reassured. So the evening came yesterday and at 7.00pm we followed all the above instructions and got right to the part about measurements and there wasn't enough liquid in the syringe!!! It was 7.30pm by this point and I began to panic and so did Jay. We knew that we couldn't ring the clinic as it was shut and it just didn't make sense. I couldn't believe how all this was happening on our very first injection and Mary (our nurse) had wanted me to be relaxed when taking them. In the end Jay came to the conclusion that we must have been told wrong and decided to still give me the amount that was in the needle as it was less but in the morning he was going to ring up the clinic. I had become so overwhelmed that when I tried to inject myself I burst into tears. I had become the complete opposite of relaxed. However Jay, my wonderful rock, took over, reassured me and I gave him the injection to do. He injected me swiftly and without any hesitation. 

So when the morning came Jay rang up the clinic and spoke to Mary and she discovered the problem- we had forgot to flick the small bottle with the sterile fluid (the very first step!) therefore we lost some of the fluid! How silly we both felt and I felt even more silly this morning after getting overwhelmed last night but this is a journey and it will most certainly have its ups and downs. We are both learning along the way! 

I felt much happier about the injections today knowing now what we had done wrong. The first one was over and that will always be the hardest one! The only thing I have to make sure I do is drink lots of water as it helps with the side-affects. So I have been drinking all day and feel as bloated as a balloon! All was going well today until the mail man arrived and bought sad news with him... My Nana passed away on 5th January, her battle with Huntington's disease has ended. I felt all different emotions on receiving this news, sadness, glad that she isn't suffering anymore, regret that I never got to meet her, worry of how my Dad was going to take the news... Yet as the day went on one thing stood out alone from all these feelings - courage. I have even more reason now to be doing this IVF/PGD, I will not let anymore suffer from this terrible disease! It will end after me! I am doing this for my Nana, my Dad, my husband and most importantly for the life of our future child... No more suffering in my family, it ends with me! 

This evening we did the injection and it went wonderfully (Jay has definately got a promising future as a doctor haha!) I am blessed with a wonderful husband and we will do this together! I will keep you updated! 

Norethisterone

Today I have begun my IVF treatment! As I woke up this morning I took my first Norethisterone tablet. I have to take these tablets once in the morning and in the evening up until 16th January. The Norethisterone will delay my period from coming, this is the suppressing stage of the process. 

So not much else to tell you at the moment but I will keep you informed! 

Appointment!

Yesterday we had our appointment at Nottingham clinic and I am glad to say that it has reassured me about nearly every thing that I felt nervous about! We were seen by a lovely patient woman called Mary who made me feel at ease from the moment that we sat down and started talking.

First things first we had to sign lots of consent forms which she had to go through with us one by one. Then she got out a box with some medication and needles in and she said that she was going to go through how to administer the drugs that I will be taking in January. So we had a go at mixing the drugs and handling the syringe (which sounds really dodgy haha!) Then she gave me an empty syringe with a smaller needle fixed on the end which she said would be the needle I will have to inject myself with. Then she told me to pinch a piece of my tummy (not easy to describe!) and gently insert the needle because she wanted me to see that it does not hurt in the least. I was extremely surprised to find how easy it was as I expected to be injecting into my arm. 

She then went on to explain our schedule. The first step will be taking the first lot of medication on the 4th January of Norethisterone tablets up until the 16th January. Then the injections will begin after that.  Mary has roughly estimated that my egg collection will be either 31st January or 3rd February. So I will only be on the medication a few weeks before the big egg collection!

So we had a phone call today from a pharmaceutical company telling us that the drugs will be arriving on Friday.  So as soon as Christmas and New Year is over we will be starting! Still doesn't feel real yet...<3

Off to Nottingham tomorrow!

So we are off to Nottingham tomorrow for the first time since June! We are going to be seeing Mary the PGD nurse to discuss my IVF treatment plan and have some blood tests taken in preparation for the beginning of the IVF in January. I am feeling extremely excited and cannot wait to go and find out more about what we will be doing! 

WE HAVE NEWS!!!!!!!!!!

Today has given me so much joy!!!! I had a phone call from the clinic in Nottingham with news that the PGD test is finished and that it has all worked! :) 

IVF will begin in January!!!! I am feeling so thankful right now...<3 We have been given an appointment at Nottingham for the 17th December at 10.00am to see the PGD nurse who is going to go through all of the injections and drugs that I will be taking. We also have to have some blood tests done to check for HIV and also check immunity for Hepatitis and Rubella.  

A pharmaceutical company will get in contact within the next couple of weeks to discuss how and when the drugs will be delivered to my house when I begin the IVF treatment. 

At the moment my head is just spinning...After waiting so long for something you just feel so much more appreciative of it when it comes along :) I just can't believe it's really happening now... <3 

Still more waiting...

Well it has been a long while since I blogged but we still have not heard anything about the IVF/PGD... 

I am really hoping that we will hear something from them soon!! It has nearly been 4 months since our DNA was sent to Genesis Genetics for the PGD part of the procedure and I am hoping that no news is good news! 

Since I last blogged many good things have occurred for me and my husband. The Apprenticeship he was on has been cut short because they have now hired him as an employee! I was so proud of him when he told me. So financially things are looking up for us. Some family rifts that occurred during my Huntington's Disease Testing process have been mended and some bridges have been built so to speak. We have both shared our birthdays, I am now 21 years old and Jay is 23 years old. 

The biggest and best news for me was when I was asked to become a Regional Advocate for wehaveaface.org. I have met/spoken to some wonderful people and really feel that I can help towards finding a cure for Huntington's Disease... God has opened so many doors of opportunity for us both this year and I feel so blessed... 

Really hoping and praying that I hear something soon about the IVF/PGD but trusting in God for his perfect timing <3